Unionists and republicans give reaction to Carla Lockhart resigning as DUP party officer
There has been a wide range of reaction from unionists and republicans to the resignation of Carla Lockhart as a DUP party officer.
UUP Leader Jon Burrows MLA said it was an internal DUP, but independent Upper Bann MLA, Doug Beattie, said it was "a difficult and courageous decision".
"This is acting on her convictions and in support of those who are angry at what they see as a flagrant and deliberate breach of the law on the Garvaghy Road,” he said,
However she now must decide whether to remain under her party umbrella, he added.
People Before Profit MLA Gerry said it shows that unionism and the DUP in particular is "coming apart at the seams".
He added: "And what's driving the DUP isn't tackling hospital waiting lists, the housing emergency or the cost of living. It's an unwanted march that the people of the Garvaghy Road made clear they didn't want and successfully stopped."
TUV leader Jim Allister said that the DUP could remove the First Minister by resigning Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.
“With the exception of Carla Lockhart, the DUP’s response to events in Portadown has been shockingly weak," he said at a rally in Castlederg on Friday night.
He added: “With the Honourable Member for Upper Bann as the exception, it would appear that the DUP have lost all self-respect."
But former IRA prisoner turned academic Anthony McIntyre believes she is testing the waters before jumping to the TUV - or challenging for the DUP leadership.
"The question for unionism is whether any such move will unite unionism as it positions itself even further to the political right or fragment it even further."
He does not think Sinn Fein is under pressure to pull out of the Executive because it is "riding high after its Garvaghy Road stance".
Political commentator Dr Cillian McGrattan said it would be "an oversimplification" to suggest the resignation is pandering to the Orange Order.
"In reality the massive and monolithic response from nationalism and its hyper-aggressive rejection of unionist sentiments has revealed a deep divide between the communities. The flagrant disregard of unionist attitudes and the brazen flouting of the rule of law by nationalists representatives has clearly proven too much for Carla to stomach."